Kiss Me Slowly
by Girls.Named.Sydney.Problems
Summary: A collection of Naley one-shots! I own nothing.
1. Kiss Me Slowly

**So this is a bit of an AU story based on Parachute's "Kiss Me Slowly". Basically, both Nathan and Haley lived in Tree Hill, but they didn't date; they didn't even know each other. When Haley went on tour with Chris she didn't go back to Tree Hill because of Nathan. She got her GED on the road and decided to stay in NYC to record her second album. This kind of explores the question of who Nathan would be if he hadn't met Haley initially. Set in late season 2, early season 3. Haley's outfit is on my profile.**

Haley was making her way downtown, walking fast, the faces passed, and she was homebound. It had been one of her longest days yet since she started working on her second album. For whatever reason she had hit a wall in her writing. She had lost the inspiration she'd had in Tree Hill. Her producer wanted her to draw on the experiences she'd had on the road, but she didn't think that was enough to sell her next album. Before, she'd had the tour and her single with Chris Keller to boost the sales and generate buzz, but now she was back at square one and she was at a loss.

Haley was lost in her own thoughts as she rounded the corner to her townhouse in the West Village. Suddenly she ran straight into a broad-shouldered man. She dropped her bag and guitar (luckily in its case) and she was headed straight for the curb when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and saved her just a few inches from a serious face plant. Haley gasped and froze for a moment, suspended in the air and the arms of this mysterious stranger.

After they both recovered from the sudden incident, he lifted her back onto her feet. He also bent down to pick up her stuff. When they finally met she took a sharp breath. Haley was looking into the eyes of her best friends' half brother.

"Nathan…" Haley said, for lack of anything better to say.

"Haley," he said more definitively.

"Uh, what are you doing here, in New York, as in not in Tree Hill?" she asked stupidly.

"Skipping school," he said with a smirk.

"Skipping school? You are _skipping school_ 600 hundred miles away from _school_?" she repeated back.

"Yeah, you know, just needed a change. Thought I'd take a long weekend in the big apple. I'm staying at the hotel on Houston and 11th."

Haley laughed. "Yeah, okay. Well, see your around… or not because we live 600 miles away from each other…"

She started to walk past him, thoroughly confused as to what had just transpired when she heard him say, "You're welcome."

Haley turned around and squinted at him. He kind of motioned around him indicating the whole bumping into him, saving her from major face deformation thing.

"Uh, right. Thanks…" she said dumbly, mentally hitting herself for being so awkward.

She started to climb the stairs to her townhouse, but she couldn't help but think something about Nathan was different. He didn't seem like the jerk he'd been their whole life. She stopped at the top of the steps. Haley knew she would regret what was about to happen, but that didn't matter. She turned and looked to see Nathan walking away.

"Nathan!" she yelled after him.

He turned and grinned.

"Do you, uh, want to come up?" she asked, awkward as ever.

"Yeah. I'd like that," he yelled back. He jogged back and climbed her stairs, meting her at the top.

"I, uh, was going to go get some dinner… if you want to, like, join me or something…" she offered lamely.

"Yeah. I'd like that…" he smiled crookedly.

"Great… okay…" she said under my breath as she pulled out her keys and unlocked the door.

They walked into the foyer of her townhouse and she dropped her stuff by the stairs. The house was nice, really nice actually, and paid for by the label. It actually looked a lot like Miranda Priestly's apartment in _The Devil Wears Prada._

"So, um, I am going to go change really fast and then we can go. Feel free to look around or sit or something… haha…" she laughed, at a loss as to what to do with her best friends' devilish brother who had seemed to turn a new leaf since the last time she'd seen him.

"Haley, take a breath. It's just me. Go change, I can take care of myself down here for a few minutes."

"Okay," she said with a smile.

Haley jogged up the stairs to her closet and stripped off her clothes and walked over to her dresses. A lot of it was gifted to her by brands wanting me to represent them. She pulled out a strapless Jack Willis sundress. It had a bow at the neckline and was stripped light-denim blue and white. She smoothed out the creases and looked in the mirror. She pulled my hair out of the bun on my head and let the waves fall over her shoulders._Why was she making such an effort for Nathan Scott?_ She asked herself. Maybe she just missed Tree Hill and he was as close to it she had been in a year. A blush crept up her neck as she glanced over at her panty drawer. She looked around the room as if anyone would catch her.

She slowly pulled open the drawer of unworn _Agent Provocateur_ lingerie. She pulled out a strapless lace bra and matching panties and quickly slipped them on. As if nothing had happened, Haley slipped on her wedges, grabbed her bag and jacket, and quickly went back downstairs.

When she reached the bottom of the staircase she couldn't see Nathan. She could, however, hear "When The Stars Go Blue" playing in the room off of the kitchen. It's where she kept her piano and guitars and other stuff from the tour. She walked in to see Nathan looking at the news clippings of the tour framed on the wall along with a scrapbook of photos from the past year she had left out last night. He was looking at one of Chris and herself in particular looking quite cozy backstage.

Chris had broken up with her two months ago, claiming she wasn't committed enough to the music. Maybe that explained her sudden attraction to Nathan. Maybe he was just another warm body. But something deep down told her she wasn't the kind of person to want that.

"Hey."

"You seem pretty badass in these pictures," Nathan commented. "Do you really date this tool?" pointing at Chris.

"Ha. Yeah, I did," she said honestly as she walked over to him. "We actually broke up. He said I 'wasn't committed enough to the music'."

"Screw that. Dropping out of high school to join a rock tour isn't committed enough?" Nathan asked.

"Haha, apparently not."

"Well then he is an idiot."

Their hands grazed each other's and she felt a jolt go through her body. She yanked it away, making an innocent situation something more. She was sure she'd just imagined it in her head. He probably couldn't care less about her.

"So, I know a great place around the corner. You hungry? It's kinda late…" she rambled.

"Lead the way," he said as he extended his arm to the door.

He had this way of being effortlessly sexy. Why was she feeling this way? When she left Tree Hill he was a dick and now she's ready to jump his bones? What was going on with her?

"Haley?"

She broke from her trance.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Are we going to go eat?"

"Yeah," she laughed.

Haley lead the way out of the apartment and they began to walk towards the little cafe Haley went to try out new material (when she had it) on open mic night. There was a silence that bestowed them as they walked the three blocks.

"You're beautiful you know," Nathan said out of the blue.

Haley was shocked, almost to silence. "Where did that come from?"

"Judging from the fact that we are here together, walking in the city lights, side-by-side, means you've noticed a change in me," Nathan said.

"Yes… I have. I must say, this whole thing is quite a surprise. What happened?" she asked.

"I just realized what a dick I was, how much like my father I was, and how different from him I wanted to be," Nathan revealed as they arrived at the cafe.

Haley motioned for a table for two to the hostess and she seated them outside at one of the candle lit tables. She left them with the menus and the wine list.

"I think that's very noble of you…" Haley told him shyly. "So red or white?"

Nathan smiled, "Not to be a dork because it isn't a secret that I drink, but don't you need to be 21 to order?"

Haley gave him a devilish smile. "Didn't you know? You're with _Haley James_."

"Well in that case, white."

"That's my preference too."

Dinner was great and the more they talked, the stronger their connection became. She told about how hard it had been since her break up to trust again. She didn't want to get hurt.

"I really thought Chris could be the one," Haley revealed.

"Seriously? Chris _Keller_?" Nathan laughed. "You could really do better than _that _guy. I will have lost faith in humanity the day you become Mrs. Haley Keller."

"Mrs. Haley _James _Keller," she corrected.

"Three names. That's hot."

Haley blushed, but before she could let the embarrassment wash over her the owner of the cafe came over.

"Hey Hales!" he said cheerfully. "Whose your friend?"

"Hey Max! This is Nathan. I know him from back home."

"That's great! Well, we got a couple fans in here asking if you are going to sing tonight."

"Oh, no-" she started to say before Nathan jumped in.

"Yeah she is!"

"Great! I'll get you set up. 5 minutes?" Max asked.

"Yeah. Perfect," Haley complied.

Once Max walked away Haley began apologizing. "I am so sorry about this."

"No problem! I'm kinda glad I'm going to get to see Tree Hill's infamous Haley James sing in a cafe. It'll be like getting to see Taylor Swift play in The Bluebird before she got signed."

"You _did not _just compare me to Taylor Swift," Haley laughed in mock offense.

"Hey! If the shoe fits," Nathan said, hands in the air.

"Well, tell me after if you still think I'm a blonde pop singer claiming to be country," Haley said with sass as she got up and strode over to the small platform to perform.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" she said to the crowd as she lifted her guitar over her shoulder. The crowd cheered and her smile made her glow.

"Well this song is actually a cover of Parachute's 'Kiss Me Slowly'. I'm going to go out on a limb and dedicate this to someone who is here with me tonight. So, Nathan Scott, this is for you…" she said as she looked into her unlikely lover's eyes.

Her fingers began to dance over the strings of the guitar and the music flowed out of her. Her absolute ease and grace she exuded was beautiful to Nathan. He was transfixed on her throughout the song. He saw their waitress and quietly asked for the check so he could buy her dinner. When she returned with it he put down two twenties, telling her to keep the change. When the song was done, Haley shyly bowed and thanked the audience.

"Hey…" she said when she got back to the table. "You ready to go? I can grab the check."

Nathan faked offense, confusing Haley. "What kind of guy do you think I am making a lady pay for dinner? No. I paid when you were singing."

"Nathan! You _did not _have to do that!" she exclaimed.

"But I wanted to," he answered seriously.

"Well, thank you."

They walked for another hour around Manhattan, talking as if they had been friends forever or as if they had been in love since they were five. As the night progressed, Haley hand't even noticed Nathan's hand intertwined with hers or the shyness that had seemingly taken him over since her performance. They arrived in front of Nathan's hotel close to midnight.

They turned to face each other, still not willing to release their hands.

"So…" they both said simultaneously. They laughed nervously.

Nathan looked down at their intertwined fingers."Do you maybe want to come up? I'm not really ready to say goodbye," he said quietly.

"You know what?" she asked.

"What?"

"I'm not ready to say goodbye either."

They looked at each other and smiled, both a little embarrassed at what might happen. He grabbed her other hand, noting how small it felt in his. He cupped her hand to his face, down to his mouth. She watched, her heart pounding so loudly she could feel it in her ears, as he sucked her fingers between his lips. He turned to her and their eyes lock on each other. She could hardly breathe when he leaned in to kiss her. She closed her eyes and started kissing him back. Her stomach fluttered with nervous energy. Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she pushed him away.

"I'm sorry. We...prob...We..." her mouth unable to catch up with her thoughts.

"You don't have to be sorry. I kissed you," Nathan said.

"Yes, but I shouldn't have kissed back," Haley insisted

"Maybe..."

She giggled like a school girl, nothing she had ever done before. Nathan grinned like an idiot, something he had never done before. He led her into the hotel and up to his room. They took an elevator to the 14th floor in comfortable silence. Nathan briefly released her hand to open the door and he held it open for her to enter. She walked in and looked around the beautiful room. She walked over to the window and she looked out to the moonlit streets.

"You look beautiful…" Nathan said for a second time that night.

She turned to see Nathan standing next to the bed, waiting for her response. She was caught in his gaze and, like a moth to a flame, she threw her body to him. She was desperate, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him onto her lips. They started pawing and grabbing each other, exploring each other's curves. Their deep breaths turned to hot panting. She stood up on the bed, her face above his, still sucking the breath from his lungs.

He unzipped her dress and pushed it down. He couldn't help but marvel at her body. It wasn't perfect, but it was sexy as hell. Her lingerie was staggering. She smiled and took the opportunity to claw his shirt off, throwing it behind her. His middle finger pressed against the moist spot on her panties. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her legs around his torso. He spun her around and pushed her up against the hotel room wall, _hard_.

His sudden roughness spurred her on. She planted her feet back on the ground and pushed on his hips, guiding him towards the chair. Before he could sit down, she slid down his body, kneeling in front of his belt buckle. She looked up into his eyes as her hands deftly unbuckled, unbuttoned, and unzipped the barrier to his manhood.

With one swift movement, she pulled his pants off and pushed him down on the chair. She crawled up between his knees and stroked him through his boxers. His hands clutched at the sides of the chair as he threw his head back. She relished in his reaction and once more stroked him. She put her mouth against the fabric and took it in. She tugged his boxers down, exposing his erect member.

"I want you to know I don't normally do _this_," Haley said quietly.

He immediately snapped out of his lustful haze and pulled Haley up into his lap, his boxers simultaneously pulled up as well, by her arm.

"I want you to know that I don't think you do," Nathan whispered back. Haley looked back at him with innocent eyes and it killed him to know she carried around pain.

"Look, I'm not sure what this is gonna be," he whispered to her as he stroked her cheek. "But with my eyes closed all I see is the skyline, through the window, the moon above you and the streets below."

They looked into each other's eyes and he held his breath as she was moving in. Their lips stopped, just barely touching. He could only imagine the taste of her lips and feel of her skin to be electric.

"When the time comes, baby don't run, just kiss me slowly," he whispered.

"I think the time has come," Haley smiled before she bridged the gap between them and crashed her lips to his. The lip-lock became intensely passionate and soon Nathan pulled away for a few short breaths.

"Haley… tonight has been amazing and because of that I don't want to do anything to jeopardize whatever this is."

"That's okay. May be we could just lay here?" Haley asked him, gesturing to the bed.

They collapsed together on the bed, their legs intertwined. They were laying across the bed, heads facing the window that looked out to the city's skyline lit up by the moon. She had no idea what to say, what to think. His hand reached for hers and he pulled it to his lips. She traced the contours of his face with her finger and kissed him on the forehead before curling up into his arms.

Nathan's hands caressed her. "Moonlight becomes you, it goes with your hair."

Haley laughed and hit his shoulder. "_Okay_, Johnny Burke."

They lay there together quietly for a while, basking in each other's presence.

"Tell me a secret, Haley James," Nathan asked her.

She looked up at him, ready to show him everything she used to know.

"My life in Tree Hill revolved around Lucas, but not in a weird Joey loves Dawson kind of way," she quickly clarified. "You can walk into Karen's Cafe and it's all picture frames filled with Lucas and I. There are back country roads we used to ride our bikes on that have long since been deserted. I miss that; when the days were long and the world was small."

There was a blissful and understanding silence that filled the space between them.

"Tell _me_ a secret," Haley whispered.

"I can breathe you in right now. Seriously. You're my entire world right now," Nathan responded cornily.

"Tell me a _real_ secret, dork," she smiled.

In the dark, I felt him tense in the reality of where we were and who we were. I saw the two shadows of our earlier selves by the bedroom door.

"That moment earlier, when you were honest and told me you didn't normally do this, I could not want you more than I did right then, as our heads leaned in…" Nathan whispered.

Haley tensed at the harsh reality that she could fall in love with Nathan Scott. She sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. She felt tears threatening to burst through her barriers. Nathan appeared beside her and placed a hand on her back.

"I know you stood by as love fell apart, separate rooms and broken hearts, but I won't be the one to let you go. Don't run away. I know it's hard to love again when the only way it's been, the only love you knew, just walked away. If this is something that you want, Hales, you don't have to run. You don't have to go…" he promised her.

She turned to look at the person she never even imagined would fall head over heels for. "Look, I'm not sure what this is gonna be," she whispered to her as she stroked his cheek. "But with my eyes closed all I see is the skyline, through the window, the moon above you and the streets below."

They looked into each other's eyes and he held his breath as she was moving in. Their lips stopped, just barely touching. She knew the taste of his lips and feel of her skin was electric.

"When the time comes, baby don't run, just kiss me slowly," she whispered.


	2. A Drop In The Ocean

Haley sat on a bench in Central Park sipping on a mint tea. The leaves were changing, bringing a little New England color to New York, and bringing back heaps of memories from home; Lucas was pushing her into a pile of leaves to her left, Nathan was dancing with her beneath the twinkling lights to her right. She even saw Brooke, Peyton, and herself licking ice cream in front of her. The ghosts of her past appeared all around her, overwhelming the redhead.

Haley looked down at her empty finger, tracing the ghost of her wedding ring. It made her sad to think about the last few months. She might've been living a dream, performing music live on stage every night, but at what cost? She was alone - well, she had Chris, but he didn't count - and she had sacrificed everything that had once been so dear to her. Most nights she hardly slept and spent her time staring at the ceiling wondering, debating, the last year of her life. Marriage had seemed like a priority at the time, but don't all mistakes start that way? It was the same with touring. It had seemed like the right choice, but was it? How was she to differentiate between her fate, her destiny, and the obstacles in between? Was marriage an obstacle on her way to her future in music, or was music an obstacle on her way to true love?

Every decision is a drop in the ocean of choices that make up you life and Haley was having difficulty with this next drop in her life. Every choice is like a change in the weather, drastic and uncomfortable until you settle.

Haley opened the doors to the balcony in her hotel room and stared up at the stars (the few she could see through the New York smog). She remembered when she left with Chris, that night that nearly killed her. Her bus rolled down the east coast wondering how she would keep warm without Nathan's warm body next to her, or he without her. It was too late to cry and she was too broken to move. Suddenly, Haley realized that wasn't how she would've felt, should've felt, if this was right for her. So many people told her this was her future, music was her future, but they were wrong. Nathan was her future. Tree Hill was her future. Those were priorities and if music found her there, then it was meant to be. This broken feeling she carried with her wouldn't be there if she was doing the right thing.

Tears streamed down her face as she went back into her room and began throwing her belongings into her bags. It might've been 1 am, but she still picked up her phone and hit number 4 on her speed dial. She wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve as she waited anxiously for the person on the other end to answer. Just as she had lost faith and was about to hang up, a voice on the other end said, "You don't call for months and when you do it is at 1 am?"

"Peyton, I am so sorry…" Haley cried quietly.

"I'm not going to feel sorry for you just because you're crying. You deserted all of us, Nathan in particular," Peyton spat.

"I know. And it took me too long to realize that, but I have and I am coming home," Haley promised as she tried to keep her voice from shaking or cracking.

"It is too late Haley. You can't take the past year back."

"Please, I'm coming home. I just need you to help me with something…" Haley begged.

"Why should I help you?" Peyton asked.

"Because I was your friend once, and I might not be now, but you're still mine. Do this for Nathan. Please, I just need a slot for 9:30 tonight at Tric and you just need to make sure Nathan is there to see my song."

Haley waited with anxiety while Peyton thought it over. It seemed like ages, but she deserved it. She had left everyone without so much as a goodbye.

"Fine," Peyton finally said before hanging up.

Tears of happiness streamed down her face as she continued to pack her things. Heaven didn't seem so far away anymore. She soon had everything packed and swung open her door only to be met by Chris Keller.

"Hales! Where are you going?" he asked, genuinely surprised. It wasn't often you could surprise Chris Keller.

"I am going home, back to Tree Hill. I should have never left," she explained defiantly. She tried to move around the cocky guitar player, but he blocked her.

"Haley, this is your dream, don't give it up for a guy," he said sincerely.

"Every song ends. Relationships don't have to," she responded.

Chris stepped aside, to Haley's surprise, and said, "Chris Keller's work here is done. Chris Keller likes jamming with Chris Keller. That way her works with the best."

Haley rolled her eyes and kept moving down the hallway. Haley made it to Grand Central Station at 5:30 am and bought a one-way ticket to Tree Hill. It departed 30 minutes later and soon Haley was barreling down the east coast back to the place she called home. She stared out the window as the landscapes blew past her, just blurs of what they are. That's how she felt; she was a blur of the person she used to be.

Haley pulled out her notebook and began to jot down lyrics. She had 15 hours to write a song for Nathan, for her friends, for the people she left behind. Just 15 hours to pour her heart out in a song. She was a poet first, a songwriter second.

She thought about Nathan…

_A drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might end up together_

She thought about Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke…

_Misplaced trust and old friends_

_Never counting regrets_

_By the grace of God I do not rest at all_

She thought about herself…

_I don't want to waste the weekend_

_If you don't love me pretend_

Her tears were free falling and multiple times she was asked by the elderly woman across from her if she was okay. She nodded, silently weeping, and continued to write.

"Would it be okay if I played some music, ma'am?" Haley asked the older woman.

She simply smiled and nodded saying, "Go ahead sweetheart. It's been a while since anyone has played for me."

That made Haley smile.

She started strumming until she found her way in the music.

_Em_

_C_

_G_

_D_

Haley started singing.

_A drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might end up together_

_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert_

_But I'm holding you closer than most, _

_Cause you are my heaven._

The old woman smiled and placed a hand on Haley's, silently comforting the girl nearly 60 years younger.

"You, young lady, are very talented." That's all she said.

"Thank you…"

They spent the rest of the ride in silence.

A few hours, and about 12 versions of the same song, later a voice came over head saying they were an hour outside of Tree Hill, NC. She looked at her watch and saw it was nearly 7:30 pm. She had gone almost 15 hours writing music without a break. She looked at her sheets of paper scattered around her. She had an hour to get it all together.

She quickly pulled out her phone and pressed number 1 on her speed dial. The phone rang and rang and rang for what seemed like forever. Finally her best friend answered.

"Haley…" Lucas said in a tone Haley couldn't quite place. He sounded happy, relieved, sad, wistful, detached, angry, and hopeful all at the same time.

"Lucas!" Haley said with joy and jubilation.

Haley waited for him to respond in anyway, but the line was silent.

"Lucas?" she asked, worried he had hung up.

"...I'm here…" he said quietly.

"How have you been?" she asked, trying to point the conversation in a pleasant direction.

"Cut the crap Haley. What do you want?" he asked with pain in his voice.

"Could you pick me up?" she asked quietly.

"What?" he asked, seriously surprised and confused.

"Could you pick me up? From the train station?"

"When?" he asked, his voice softening.

"Um, in an hour?" she said sheepishly.

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Okay, great! See you soon!" she said happily before hanging up.

Now that Lucas knew she was coming, Haley felt like she had someone in her corner. She turned her focus to her scraps of paper and began to organize them into a coherent song. She pieced together lyrics for the next hour until she felt the train pulling into the station. Haley stepped off her train and began to search the crowd for her best friend. The hustle and bustle of the people meeting friends and family made her excited, giddy even, to be back in Tree Hill. Even though she had only been in the train station a handful of times, it still felt like home.

"Hales! Haley!" she heard over the squeals of delight to be reunited with loved ones.

"Luke!" she screamed back, looking for her best friend in the direction of the voice. She searched and searched until she saw the familiar shaggy blonde hair.

"Lucas!" she yelled, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks.

Haley made her way to the benches where Lucas was waiting for her. She pushed through the crowd and threw herself into the arms of her lifelong best friend. He held her close and tight and Haley felt more at home than she ever had on her tour bus or numerous hotel rooms. They pulled apart, both smiling like idiots in the way that long lost friends do when they are reunited.

"It's good to see you, Hales. Let's get you to Tric," Lucas said as he took her bags and lead her to the exit. They were talking and laughing on their way to Lucas's car when he suddenly fell silent.

"Luke, what's up?" Haley asked with concern.

"Uh, I forgot to tell you something… I hope it's okay, but-" However, he didn't get to finish whatever he was going to say because a shrill cry came from his truck.

"TUTOR WIFE!"

"-I brought Brooke…" he finished. Haley just laughed as her friend jumped out of the car and raced over to envelope her in a great big hug.

"Hey Brooke," Haley said in a tone denoting she was used to Brooke's utter Brooke-ness.

"Oh Tutor Wife, I can't believe you're back! Wait, can I still call you Tutor Wife or are we back to Tutor Girl?" Brooke said in one breath. Haley looked at Lucas and back to Brooke all sharing a sad look.

"Well, that's what I am here to find out…" Haley answered honestly. Brooke's face softened and she pulled Haley back in for another hug.

"Come on. We got to get going if we want Haley to be at Tric on time for her slot," Lucas said. The three of them piled into Lucas's truck and headed to Tric. Haley took the time to organize her music and lyrics.

"Whatcha got going on there, Tutor Wife?" Brooke asked as she peered at the papers on Haley's lap.

"I wrote a song on the train. It is the song I want to sing tonight…" Haley revealed.

"Look Hale's, I don't wanna rain on your parade, but have you thought this through? I can't let you mess with Nathan's head if you're going to take off in a few days, or weeks, or months…"

"I'm here to stay, whether Nathan takes me back tonight or not. I've been to a lot of places in the past year, but there is only one Tree Hill, and it is my home."

"Well then," Lucas said as he pulled up to Tric. "You better get your butt in there. You're on in 10."

She kissed her best friend's cheek and hugged the two of them goodbye before running up the stairs to the night club.

"You almost missed your slot," was the first thing Peyton said to Haley when she got back stage.

"It's good to see you too Peyton," Haley said with a little sass.

"Whatever. I have to go out and introduce you. Nathan is at the bar. He was pissed at me for dragging him out so don't do anything stupid," Peyton warned her.

"Peyton, I love Nathan," Haley protested.

"Not enough to stay, though."

"Enough to come back," Haley tried to reason.

"Whatever."

Haley took a deep breath and watched Peyton disappear behind the black stage curtain. She steadied her breathing while she listened to Peyton start her introduction.

"All right you guys, we have had a last minute addition to the set tonight. I'd like to take this moment to apologize for not telling a certain friend tonight about this little addition. Just off the bus from her first North American tour, please welcome tree Hill native, Haley James!"

Haley was irritated Peyton hand't used her full name, but shook it off and took to the stage. She took a seat at the stool and the mic and threw herself into her performance. She locked eyes with her husband for the first time in a while and said, "Haley James Scott, actually." Nathan seemed hurt, confused, hopeful, scared, and shocked all at the same time.

"This is a new song that I wrote on my train down here today. I apologize if it is a bit rough around the edges, but I didn't think there would be a better song to play for you guys tonight. It's about friends and love, but, if I'm being honest, I wrote it for my husband. So Nathan, this is for you." Haley's fingers began to dance over her guitar strings as the music began to flow out of her.

_A drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might end up together_

_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert_

_But i'm holding you closer than most,_

_'Cause you are my heaven._

_I don't wanna waste the weekend_

_If you don't love me, pretend _

_A few more hours, then it's time to go_

_As my train rolls down the east coast _

_I wonder how you'll keep warm_

_It's too late to cry_

_To broken to move on_

_And still I can't let you be_

_Most nights I hardly sleep_

_Don't take what you don't need from me_

_It's just a drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might end up together_

_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert_

_But i'm holding you closer than most,_

_'Cause you are my heaven._

_Misplaced trust and old friends_

_Never counting regrets_

_By the grace of God I do not rest at all_

_In new England as the leaves change_

_The last excuse that I'll claim, _

_I was a boy who loved a women like a little girl_

_And still I can't let you be_

_Most nights I hardly sleep_

_Don't take what you don't need from me_

_It's just a drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might end up together_

_Its like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert_

_But i'm holding you closer than most,_

_'Cause you are my,_

_Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore no no_

_Heaven doesn't seem far away_

_Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore no no_

_Heaven doesn't seem far away_

_A drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might end up together_

_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert_

_But i'm holding you closer than most,_

_'Cause you are my heaven._

_You are my heaven_

The song ended and Haley received a standing ovation. She opened her eyes and couldn't find Nathan. Tears began to swell in her eyes, but she kept it together long enough to make it back stage.

Once she had gotten back into the privacy of the dressing she burst into tears. She couldn't believe Nathan had left. She hand't expected their reunion to be sunshine and rainbows, but she _had_ expected him to stick out her song. She took a sip of water and leaned on the vanity table as she continued to sob.

"Shouldn't I be the one getting emotional? You just played me a love song after all?"

Haley immediately stopped crying when she heard the familiar voice of her husband. She slowly turned around and was graced with the presence of her husband for the first time in a while.

"Nathan…" she choked. She so badly wanted to run across the room and throw her arms around his neck and kiss away the pain she caused him.

But that wasn't realistic.

"I heard you, Hales. I heard your song and I heard what you wanted to say to me. You can't just take back the past year with a song!" he said, getting increasingly angry with every word.

"Nathan! I'm sorry! I-"

"I'm not done," he said holding up his hand to stop her. "That being said, I still love you and you're still my wife. I've spent a lot of sleepless nights wondering how I would feel in this moment."

"And how do you feel?" she asked hopefully.

"I didn't expect to feel _this _way. I've spent so long being angry with you, ignoring the fact that I miss you. But you got on that stage and this constant anger I've felt for the past year just… melted away."

"Oh Nathan…" she whispered. She took a few steps forward, testing the situation.

"I've missed you, Hales…" Nathan revealed, almost in tears.

"I've missed you, too!" Haley cried as she ran into his arms.

Her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her petite body. One of his hands bunched her shirt at her lower back and the other threaded in her red hair.

They pulled apart after a few minutes. Their eyes caught each other and they slowly leaned in for their first kiss in a year. It wasn't anything crazed or out of control. It was a quiet passion.

They pulled apart, but did not let go of each other. They had been apart for so long that they didn't want to let each other go. They shared another chaste kiss, but decided to go back into the club. Nathan warped his arm around her waist and guided Haley into the club towards Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Mouth, and Skills. They spent the rest of the evening reconnecting with their friends.

After a few more hours Haley said, "I'm going to get going. I've been awake for like 24 hours so…"

"Wait, where do you think you're staying?" Nathan asked.

"A hotel?" Haley said, but it came out like a question.

"No way. You're coming home with me. I just got you back and I don't plan on letting you go again."

"Aw! So you _are_ still Tutor Wife!" Brooke squealed and everyone laughed, just like old times.

Nathan looked at his wife and said with a quiet smile, "Yeah… she is."


	3. You Need Me Like I Need You

**SIDENOTE: Italics are the time capsule quotes from Nathan and Jimmy and the quote at the end is the Lucas voiceover quote from the end of 3.16**

The day had started like any other. I got up, I got dressed, I brushed my teeth, I went to school. There was nothing extraordinary about this day. This week was another matter entirely. This was the week that changed everything.

I thought back to Monday morning, it had been like any other day. Same routine, same people. I got to school and noticed everyone looking at the television sets in the halls. I looked up to see Nathan, my husband, sitting solemnly on the screen. There wasn't a trace of the beautiful smile I'd left on his face, months earlier, when I left on tour. That was my fault. Leaving him had hurt him and it was all my fault.

_So you want me to tell you something about myself? I don't have anything to say. Even if I did you'd be wrong to believe me. Trust is a lie. Nobody ever knows any more. People think that if you love somebody hard enough then everything is just gonna work out. People are wrong. 50 years from now, I hope you got what you wanted Haley, but getting married to you was the worst mistake of my life. Here's a little advice, never get married. In the end, you're only be miserable._

The words hurt, but I was in no position to be offended. I'd been selfish. I'd left without a goodbye or an explanation. I knew Nathan and I were in a good place now that I'd come back. I knew he'd said those things when I was on tour with Chris Keller. He didn't mean them now… Did he?

I turned around to see Nathan staring back at me, regret and apology in his eyes, but I turned and walked the other way. Our personal problems had just been aired for the entire student body to hear, they didn't need to hear an even _more_ personal conversation between us.

Of course later that day we talked and agreed that the past was the past and didn't need to open old wounds. We kissed and hugged and moved on to other things. I sang that night at Peyton's _Friends With Benefit_ concert and Nathan brought me the purple flowers from our wedding and he told me I was incredible. Nothing could go wrong.

That was then.

In the 24 hours since the release of the time capsule our lives had been turned upside down. The false sense of security that came from talking to Nathan was shattered and I found myself locked in a room with Marcus, Skills, Abby, Rachel, and Jimmy. We were all hiding from a gunman that was terrorizing the school. Nathan was on the bus with Lucas and the team and knowing he was safe gave me peace of mind. He was safe and I took comfort in that.

I locked the door to the Tutor Center and sat down against the wall by the door so anyone looking in wouldn't be able to see us. Hopefully the gunman wouldn't see us. I closed my eyes and twisted my wedding band around my finger, praying for the chance to see Nathan again; to kiss him, to touch him, to hold him.

"We need to get out of here," said Marcus, a jock I had never really known.

"No, we need to stay put. That's the procedure. Lockdown. We have to wait until it's safe," I informed him.

"And I'm saying lockdown is crap," he rebutted. "If whoever out there is a student, they know where we're at."

"What about the windows?" asked Rachel. "I mean, we could break the windows and get out."

"No. This- It just goes to a courtyard. It's enclosed. It's for light," I told her.

"Yeah, besides, we need to break in all the windows. All we do is draw attention to ourselves," added Skills.

"You don't think a locked door is gonna tell whatever psycho that's out there that we're in here?" Marcus argued.

I could feel the anxiety in the room growing as everyone began to panic.

"Why would you call them psycho?" asked Jimmy from the end of the room.

We all looked at him with a questioning look, wondering why he would ask such a thing. He looked at us, expecting an answer.

"Something to do with them trying to kill us all, fat-ass," Marcus answered condescendingly, as if the answer were obvious. I could see the "fat-ass" comment had hurt Jimmy's feelings and I should have said something, but I didn't.

What seemed like ages went by and there wasn't any sign of movement outside. We could hear the police, reporters, and the crowd outside. It was loud and scary to think anyone of us could die. For all we knew, the shooter could be locked in this room with us.

Suddenly, we heard a knock at the door. We all jumped in unison at the sudden noise. It was scary. No one knew quite what to do. A small card slid under the door and I reached over to get it seeing as I was closest to the door. I read the plastic card and was shocked to see it was Nathan's driver's licensee.

"It's Nathan!" I breathed, immediately reaching for the door to let him in.

I was stopped by Marcus, a guy I only knew from my AP Government class. "Stop! Like you said, there is a procedure! We can't open the door!" he insisted.

"It is Nathan! This is his license! We can't just leave him out there!" I cried, panic rising in my throat. I needed him.

"No! How do you know someone didn't just kill him and take his license?" yelled Marcus.

Thinking fast, I yelled, "WAIT!"

Everyone looked at me as I leaned down to the crack in the door and whispered, "Always…"

If it was Nathan he'd know what to say.

I heard the faint whisper of "and forever" from the other side and knew it was my love. I stood up and insisted that it was him, but Marcus stood his ground. "No, get away from the door."

I looked back at Skills, horrified that I could't get to Nathan. Skills grabbed Marcus by his shirt and pushed him against the wall. "She say it's him, it's him. Open the door," he growled.

I silently thanked him and yanked the door open to find Nathan with a baseball bat and Mouth standing there.

"God, come here!" Nathan gasped as he pulled me into his strong embrace and tears poured down my face as he held me tight. He pushed me into the room, Mouth trailing behind, and we quickly shut the door.

"You okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"Yeah, what's going on out there?" I asked.

"I know. We're getting out of here. All of us, let's go," he commanded. He had his hand on my back and was guiding me to the door, when a voice from the back of the room said, "Don't."

We all looked back in surprise to see Jimmy Edwards pointing a gun directly at us. I coward back into Nathan, his arms wrapping protectively around me. I was so scared. He held the baseball bat in front of me, trying to shield me in whatever way he could.

"Nobody's going anywhere," stated Jimmy.

_So, you wanna know what things were like fifty years ago? Well, the truth is... There's not a single person in this place worth remembering in fifty years_

I could feel Nathan's hands shaking, but he never released me from his grip. He held me tightly and pulled me closer with every passing minute.

"Get away from the door," demanded Jimmy. His voice was shaking with fear, his plan clearly not thought out. I jumped.

"Jimmy?" asked Mouth, surprised as we all were.

"Do it, Mouth!" he shouted, waving the gun in the process.

"All right, all right, just chill out," said Nathan, putting his hand up to signal to Jimmy that he was complying with the demand we move.

I held on tightly to Nathan's arm as we moved, afraid that if I let go, he might somehow be taken from me and that was something I could't live with. I'd lived without him in ignorance for 16 years and I wasn't about to spend the rest of my life without him.

"Everyone get away form the door," Jimmy repeated as he sidestepped towards the desk.

Once again, Mouth spoke to Jimmy. "Oh Jimmy… What'd you do?"

Ignoring the question, Jimmy said, "Move back Skills."

"Or what? You gonna shoot me? We used to be friends, dawg."

"Yeah, _used _to be," Jimmy responded.

"So it's like that? Alright."

"Jim. You can't do this…" Mouth pleaded.

"It's a little late for that, Mouth."

I listened to the conversations between my long time friends, unable to process that Jimmy Edwards, my friend from the River Court had been driven to these lengths. We all used to be great friends. Although we had drifted apart, I could't believe that he had gone to such a dark place.

"I can't be here…" whimpered Abby Brown from the corner.

"Look, man, just let us go. I'm sorry I called you fat-ass!" Marcus yelled, though not really meaning it.

"It's a little late for that, too!" Jimmy cried, once again waving the gun at us.

Jimmy turned his attention to us and my heart sank. Jimmy's eyes were filled with anger. Although Nathan was a new person now, I knew who he had been before he met me; before we became a "we". I had no doubt Jimmy had some sort of vendetta that included him.

_So don't believe any of the other crap you're hearing. Everyone at Tree Hill is a liar._

"What about you, hero?" he yelled, referring to Nathan's protective stance in front of me.

I wrapped my arm around Nathan's chest from behind him and looked at Jimmy, pleading with my eyes for him not to hurt Nathan.

"You scared?" Jimmy taunted, the gun pointed at my love.

"Yeah, I'm scared," Nathan answered honestly, making me love him all the more. He could have lied and said no and tried to be tough in front of me, but he didn't and he wasn't. My hand was still grasping at his chest, resting on his right pectoral muscle. I could't help but notice how toned he was. I imagined how his chest felt hovering above me when we made love. I realized what an inappropriate time it was to feel wanting for him and his body, but I could't help that I had a sexy husband.

"Good," Jimmy snarled angrily, "Welcome to my world." He was shaking the gun more violently now and my panic level began to steadily rise.

"Alright," Jimmy whispered to himself. Still pointing the gun at us, he rounded the desk and yanked open a drawer, looking for something. Finding whatever it was, he grabbed it from the drawer and turned his attention back to us.

"Okay, this is what we are going to do," he barked, gun waving, returning to us.

"You're going to tape a line down the center of the room," he demanded as he tossed a roll of black duct tape at Nathan. The action made me jump and I immediately grabbed hold of him tighter. We both looked down at the duct tape in his hands. No way was I going to willingly let Nathan go. I held onto his biceps, holding him closer to me, as close as possible. Tears were pouring down my face; my mind was racing.

"GO!" Jimmy screamed.

I jumped out of my skin and threw my arms around his body. I needed him like he needed me.

"Why are you doing this?" Abby cried.

"You're Abby Brown, right? What's my name?" Jimmy asked, not expecting an answer.

"Jim," she responded with uncertainty.

"MY FULL NAME!" He screeched. "Come on. Who am I?"

"I don't know…" Abby whimpered, looking down at the ground.

"You're the guy from the time capsule," whispered Rachel.

None of these were answers that would make him happy so I stepped in.

"Jimmy Edwards."

He looked at me, sadness in his eyes.

"Jimmy Edwards," I repeated, "And you're a good guy and you are better than this," I said, my voice cracking. I could taste my tears on my lips as I continued to cry behind Nathan.

That last part seemed to strike a chord within him because the anger returned to his eyes and the gun began waving again. "Shut up! Just shut up, all of you!" he growled again. "Sit down!"

I pulled out my phone behind Nathan's back and called 911. Once they picked up I spoke again. "Jimmy," I tried to reason, "7 hostages in the tutor center? That's not you!" That gave them enough information to find us.

Unfortunately I wasn't subtle enough because he yelled, "What's that? What's in your pocket?"

"Nothing!" I tried to convince him as I coward farther behind Nathan, but it was to know avail. He kept pointing the gun at me and I started to sob more.

"WHAT IS IT?!" he screamed.

"Alright, alright, stop pointing the gun at her! Alright?!" Nathan commanded, shaking the bat he still carried between Jimmy and us.

"It's just my phone," I revealed, trying to lower tensions between Jimmy and Nathan.

Jimmy pointed the gun back at me and told me to give it to him so I did. I walked out from behind Nathan for the first time since Jimmy had pulled out his gun and held up my hands to show him my phone was all I had. I tossed it across the room into his hand and stepped back behind Nathan.

Jimmy looked at the phone and saw the 911 call. "Oh, Haley, I used to like you."

Scared of what he might do, Nathan moved farther in front of me and I held on to his arm crushing it to my chest.

"Hello, 911? Here's the thing, if anyone comes even remotely close to this school, we start shooting students. You hear me? You come in here, your kids die," he threatened before launching my phone across the room. It hit the filing cabinet by the window and broke apart.

He flung back around and shook the gun in our faces, demanding our phones. We all anted them up, except Nathan.

"And you Missy Pepper Spray," he said to Rachel, "Roll it over here." I wasn't quite sure why he'd said that. "The baseball bat too! Come on!" he screamed at Nathan.

Nathan dropped the bat, but no phone and I tugged him back up my his shirt, pulling him back to me. I hoped he wouldn't notice Nathan hand't put in his phone, but he did notice.

"Where's your phone, Scott?" Jimmy asked.

"I- I don't have it with me. You can check me if you want," Nathan offered. I pressed my face against the top of his arm, trying to stop my tears from falling, hoping and praying Jimmy accepted Nathan's response.

After a moment of contemplation, Jimmy said, "Just tape the line." He pointed to where he wanted the line and Nathan pried himself away from me to tape it. My hand lingered on his back for as long as it could before I could't reach him anymore. I covered my lips with my hand to stifle a sob as I leaned into Mouth for comfort. Nathan taped up the line and returned to me.

He engulfed me in a hug and kissed my hairline before diving lower to capture my lips. The kiss was short and comforting, but was interrupted by Jimmy screaming at us to separate. Nathan took back up his stance in front of me, shielding me from the gun, willing to take a bullet for me.

Jimmy shook the gun at the tables. "Go sit down," he demanded.

We all padded over and took seats at random desks, spreading out. Mouth, Skills and Rachel took a seat at the table next to Nathan and I's, where as Abby took a seat on the floor next to a bookshelf that Marcus sat on top of.

Nathan was sitting next to me, his hands resting on my thighs, rubbing and soothing me. My hands were resting on his arms as he did so.

"All right, nobody crosses that line," he said, pointing at the tape with the gun. "If anybody does… just don't."

"Or what Jim? You'll shoot us? Would you really do that?" I asked him.

"Don't talk to me, Haley."

"Because I don't think you would," I insisted.

"Right. When's the last time we hung out?" he asked angrily, shoving the gun in my face. More tears poured. He had a point. "You're as bad as my best friend, Mouth, who totally blew me off!"

"You didn't want to do anything," Mouth responded sadly.

"You tell yourself that, but you changed and you know it!" said Jim. He was starting to sweat pretty badly. "You became just like the rest of them!"

"Don't do that. Don't make him feel guilty for living his life," whispered Rachel. "This is not his fault. This is your fault!"

What she said was true, but it didn't seem like something Jimmy wanted to hear and that worried me. I leaned my head against Nathan's shoulder and he kissed my neck in comfort.

_See, people here are fake, so they stick to their cliques to hide it._

"No this is your fault! It's your fault! Do you think this is what I wanted?" he yelled. "What? You think I got up today and wanted this? I just wanted it to stop."

He seemed at a loss. He looked over at Skills and said, "This is kinda screwed up, huh Skills?"

"It's more than kinda, dawg. For real."

"We could all charge you at once," Marcus said.

"Yeah, but who would go first?" He pointed the gun at each of us, one at a time.

Jimmy threatened us, saying that even if we got past him we wouldn't make it past the other shooters out there. He was trying to scare us.

"_Are there_ others, Jim?" I asked sincerely. I wiped some tears from my eyes.

"No, no. I was out there. There's only you," Nathan insisted. He rubbed my arms, trying to reassure me.

This seemed to really bother Jimmy. "You really think I'm the only one?" He pointed the gun from Marcus to straight at Nathan. My stomach dropped and I wrapped my arm around Nathan's shoulders.

"Then ask yourself this: You ever treat someone like crap in this school? Or left anyone out?" he asked us.

My emotions were getting the best of me again as Jimmy spouted at us.

"You ever broken up with someone in the time it takes to pass a note and disappear? Or talk trash behind their back?" he screamed.

I could tell he was getting angrier and I was getting more and more scared. I began to bite my lower lip as he got closer to us with the gun.

"Or maybe you just ignored it all, while you worry about the big game, or the prom, or the bake sale for the Pep Club! You ask yourselves and then you tell me, is there anyone else out there?" he yelled at us. He was shaking and the gun was pointed everywhere at once

After a while of silence, all of our phones (that Jimmy had shoved in the desk at the front of the room), went off one-by-one incessantly. Calls from our parents no doubt. A particularly annoying tone kept ringing.

"Whose is that?" he screamed.

"It's the ringtone for my mom," Marcus said quietly.

Jimmy yanked open the drawer and answered Marcus's phone. "Yeah, open your eyes. Your son's a dick!" he yelled and thrust the phone at they wall. He answered all the rest with the same line: _open your eyes_; then he would crush them against the wall. We watched in horror.

Marcus saw a weakness. The gun was on the desk and Jimmy was turned around. He made a dash for it, but Jimmy was quick. He grabbed the gun and pointed it against Marcus's forehead. We all jumped.

"Just chill out…" Nathan said as calmly as possible.

"Jimmy, please!" I begged.

We were at a stand-still.

"You're not gonna do it," Marcus sneered.

"SHUT UP!" Jimmy cried. "Don't push me."

He continued to taunt him, but that wasn't what any of us needed. Skills had to punch Marcus out to get him to back off. The entire situation was becoming worse and there still was no sign of help coming for us which worried me. Jimmy seemed shocked and caught off guard when Skills threw the punch, but he gathered himself quickly and yelled at us to get back behind the line of black tape.

There was once again silence for a long time. I had warped my arms around my legs and pulled them to my chest. Nathan and I had intertwined our fingers and held hands. We could hear the helicopters swarming above us.

"They're coming. If you see any red dots on your forehead, you might wanna duck," joked Marcus. Jimmy glared and lit a smoke.

"Naw, that's just the reporters," said Skills. "We all part of the circus now."

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Nathan asked Jimmy. "What do you want to happen?"

Jimmy looked at him like he'd just asked where babies came from;like he was stupid. "What do I want to happen? I, uh, I want to crap a million dollars and a plane ticket to Bolivia."

The sarcasm wasn't necessary. We tried to convince him to give up. He was a minor with no criminal history. It wasn't as bad as he thought. We almost had him convinced, but, once again, Marcus had to ruin it by speaking. He said, "You're kidding right? The guy shot up a school!"

We al told him to shut up and we were arguing until Abby, who hand't said anything in a while, spoke, "What's wrong with you? He's just a kid. We're all just kids and we just have this life and the things you say and do, we feel that. How can you have so much hate in your heart? How can you act like it doesn't matter? It does matter. What happened to us? We're just kids. We can't be like this. It's not possible."

I looked at Jimmy, a guy I'd known my whole life, and pleaded for him to see the light.

"700 days. High School, out of 20 or 30 thousand, can't you see past that. It's only 700 days…" said Rachel softly.

_And the truth is, every day I have to come back to this school, is one less day I have to come back._

"Yeah, and how many of those days do I get back?" Jimmy asked earnestly.

"It sucks, man," Nathan told him. "I'm sorry."

"Ugh, that's great. You're sorry. We'll you can forget it. This ain't the breakfast club," he screamed. "We're not all gonna fire up a joint and be pals, I mean, let's face it, this is the most any of us have spoken in 4 years!"

We all kept quiet, knowing what he said was true.

"And we all know if I don't have this gun, non of this ever happens!" He screamed. Jimmy was getting more violent in shaking his gun. I was really scared. I believed he would shoot someone.

It was silent for a long time and we waited for salvation that seemed like it would never come. A bell rang, signaling the end of a class we never got to go to.

"I need to get out of here…" groaned Abby from the floor.

"Yeah, me too," sneered Marcus. "Can we get a hall pass?" he asked.

"Has it only been an hour?" groaned Jimmy. He clearly was as bored and tired as we were. "It seems like it's been longer than that…"

I felt Nathan's fingers trailing along my arm as I twirled a piece of hair. It would've been a pleasant moment had it not been for the gun on the desk in front of us. I absentmindedly said, "I have current events this period…"

"I think this counts," Rachel joked.

"Edwards, where are you supposed to be?" Nathan asked him.

"AP English, but I stopped going," he said.

"Why?" Rachel asked bluntly.

"I once spent an entire day in this school without a single person looking at me or talking to me and I realized that it was the best day I'd had in a long time." He looked at us all as if this was our faults, which in his mind it was. "Well, that was kind of depressing, so I went home and took an antidepressant. And then another. Then for fun I took 12 more."

We caught our breath and tried to process what he had told us. He had tried to kill himself. I knew Mouth would be taking this hard.

"My mom and the doctors called it an accident. And then 2 weeks later, when I came back, nobody noticed. It was like I never left. I guess that's the upside to not being there in the first place, no one notices when you're gone," he told us.

"It's not suppose to be this way," Mouth said between tears. "The artists, and the scientists, and the poets - none of them fitted in at 17. We're suppose to get passed it. Adults - they see kids killing kids, and they know it's a tragedy because they used to be those kids - the bullies, and the beaten, and the loners. We're supposed to get passed it. You're supposed to live long enough to take it back. Just take it back," he begged.

Jimmy began to cry so he turned around and sat with his back towards us so he could compose ourselves.

"You shouldn't have come back for me…" I whispered to Nathan. We were sitting at the same desk we had been for ages. He was stroking my hand the way he always does when I am upset. Somehow, he is able to calm me with the simplest of touches. "I love you for doing it, but I wish you were safe," I told him. I could feel Jim staring at us, but I didn't care.

"I don't want to be safe without you," he told me. I felt warmth running through my chest, I felt the love radiating off his skin, and I felt whole.

Our moment was ruined by Jimmy, as I knew it would. "I heard what you said, Scott. In the time capsule about Haley. Guys like you can get away with it," he complained.

"Guys like me, huh?" asked Nathan. I knew Jimmy had struck a chord. He could throw rocks at whatever and whoever he wanted, but Nathan would die before Jimmy threw a rock at me or our relationship. "You can pass judgment about guys like me all you want, but someone stereotypes yo and there's gunplay?"

Jimmy knew Nathan was right and he let it slid. "Whatever. Your worst day in this place would be my best day."

"Okay! Okay, maybe so!" Nathan yelled back. He was getting really pissed off now. "Maybe it _is_ easier for me and my friends. But you know what, that doesn't make what you're doing right, does it? This is wrong, man! All of this! And I think you know that!"

All the courage it took for Nathan to stand up to a gun wielding lunatic was hot and making me hot. I loved him with my whole heart and made me love him even more, if that were possible.

I looked over my shoulder and noticed Abby looking pale. I walked over and asked if she was okay. Against her protests that she was "fine", I felt her forehead and her pulse. She was really sick. I saw a bracelet on her wrist stating she was diabetic.

"Abby! You're diabetic?! Where's your insulin?!" I asked, panicked.

"What's wrong with her?!" shouted Jimmy and I told him. Sh etold me her insulin was across the quad and we convinced Jimmy to let her go.

"Yeah. You got us dawg," said Skills.

He let her go and she raced away from the room and into the courtyard. I turned back to Nathan to see him with his cell phone. I looked at him with widened eyes, but he put a finger to his lips. I shut my mouth. He had just sent Dan a text when Jimmy turned around to see him.

"I should've known it was all about the gun!" he screeched. He snatched the device from Nathan's hands and read the text aloud:

in tutor cntr. jimmy edwards is shooter.

Jimmy threw the phone on the floor and it busted to pieces. He shoved the gun at me and threatened Nathan. "So what? Do I have to pull the trigger again for you to take me seriously?" he screamed.

"No!" I cried, literally sobbing.

I folded into Nathan's arms as Jimmy retreated and the gun was removed from my face.

"I promise you! Whoever steps into that hallway is gonna die!" he screamed.

Just then, we heard the crack of a door swinging shut and our breathing collectively hitched.

"I guess that's my cue," he said ominously as he exited the room.

"Don't!" Rachel begged. "Just stop. Change it. Don't do this."

"Please, Jim!" added Mouth. "Just turn yourself in. I can go with you. This can't be happening."

"Yo Edwards, man. It don't have to be like this, dawg," added Skills.

Jimmy paused, then said, "Yeah. I think it does" and left the tutor center.

"Jimmy," I whispered.

He turned back and his parting remark was, "You know they're going to remember me as a monster but I wonder how they'll remember you?" He left the room.

I shook my head and leaned into Nathan as all of my emotions over took me and I let go. I sobbed and sobbed until Nathan's shirt was soaked through. He held me tight, the way he did when I first ever cried in front of him. He pulled me into his lap and rocked me. It seemed like ages since Jimmy had left when suddenly there was a gunshot and our world was forever changed.

_Does this darkness have a name? This cruelty, this hatred, how did it find us? Did it steal into our lives or did we seek it out and embrace it? What happened to us that we now send our children into the world like we send young men to war, hoping for their safe return, but knowing that some would be lost along the way. When did we lose our way? Consumed by the shadows. Swallowed whole by the darkness. Does this darkness have a name? Is it your name?_


	4. All In

**So this is for another contest by ThatOTHMoment. The prompt was to write a one-shot for ****_All In_**** by Lifehouse (one of my favorite songs!). I hope you guys enjoy this and don't forget to review! Also, check out ThatOTHMoment on Tumblr!**

It's not like she thought. Period.

When Haley left, to go play a rock tour with the one guy in the world her husband hated her being around, she didn't think. She was selfish. She didn't think about what it would do to Nathan or Lucas or Peyton or Brooke or herself. She just did it, the most impulsive thing she'd ever done in her life (second only to getting married at 16). She left with her guitar and a backpack without so much as a goodbye to anyone who had ever mattered to her. Looking back, she couldn't believe how naive she had been to think Nathan would take her back the moment she returned or that he would even come see her or call her when she'd just picked up and left.

Haley came to her senses after a few months on tour and had been back in Tree Hill for a few weeks. She quickly realized things were not the same. She was being bullied by girls she'd never spoken to in her life. Peyton was icing her out in a mega way. Nathan was cold, but trying and that was more than she deserved. She could see the pain she'd caused him in those beautiful eyes of his.

At least she had Brooke and Lucas. Brooke is like a puppy. Show her love and she'll stick by you forever. All Haley had to do was say sorry. Lucas loved her unconditionally. He was hurt she'd left, but as soon as she apologized he said he'd missed her. The difference between Brooke and Luke is that Luke is a voice of reason. He advises her to give Nathan time and space, two concepts she is not comfortable with. But she respected Nathan's need to heal from the scars she'd left on his soul. Haley just wished she could help him with the healing process.

The day had started like any other, just trying to get through the day without letting her longing for Nathan become too painful. How funny it is to think that just a year ago Nathan was just Lucas's estranged asshole brother. She hand't even dated a guy before Nathan had asked her to tutor him. Since meeting him she'd gotten married, gone on a rock tour, separated from her husband, and started campaigning to get him back. It was crazy to think about.

Haley came home from cheerleading practice with Brooke and dropped her stuff in the kitchen before flopping on the couch in a depressed pile.

"What's up trial separation girl?" Brooke asked as she plopped down on the couch next to her roommate and best friend.

Haley took a breath and shifted herself on the couch to face Brooke. "Promise not to freak out, okay?"

"Haley, I promise. What wrong?" Brooke said seriously.

"I went into the recording studio this morning to talk to Chris, but he wasn't there."

"Okay…"

"But a guy did come into the studio looking for Chris. He said Chris owed him money. 'More money than a Batman costume' is what he said."

Brooke then got a very confused look on her face. Haley waited to see if it would click for her but after a few seconds it was obvious she didn't understand.

"Batman. Who kissed me at Tric? Batman. We thought it was Nathan, but I think it might've been Chris…" she explained.

"Oh. OH! OH OH OH! Oh, Haley!" Brooke started yelping. She stood up and started pacing.

"You said you wouldn't freak out!"

"Well, that was before you made out with Chris Keller!" Brooke screeched.

"I didn't make out with him!" Haley shot back defensively. "_He_ kissed _me_."

"Tomato, tomato, tutor girl. What if Nathan knows?" Brooke asked.

Haley stopped dead and felt her blood run cold.

"You don't think…"

"All I know is you two are meant to be together. He has been running all sorts of hot and cold with you since you've been back which was basically the party. What if he saw? What if he thinks you're playing games?" Brooke asked frantically.

"Oh my god. I have to go talk to him," Haley said frantically as she made her way to the door.

"Wait! Not like that!" Brooke yelped.

"What?"

"You're in your uniform and your hair is a mess," Brooke so kindly pointed out.

"What do you suggest I do?"

One should know never to say those words to Brooke Davis because she is the queen on of plans. In 20 minutes Haley had transformed from a sweaty cheerleader to a smoldering rockstar. Brooke had used dry shampoo and mouse to tease her hair into a sexy mess of curls and had put Haley in a casual pair of jeans and a tight tank top.

"Brooke, you're an evil genius!" Haley squealed as she grabbed her stuff and rushed out the door.

10 minutes later Haley found herself on the doorstep of her estranged husband's home, rapping lightly on the door she'd become so familiar with. After a moment or two, Nathan opened the door in only a pair of gym shorts. Her breath caught, and not just because it had been ages since she'd seen him like this, but because she eyed his wedding ring on a chain around his neck.

"Hey, uh, can we talk?" she asked, knowing better than to mention the ring.

"Sure," Nathan deadpanned in the monosyllabic tone practically trademarked by the Scott boys.

Haley entered the ominous home, previously inhabited by the infamous Dan Scott. She looked around. Things had changed since she been there last. It was clear Nathan had been living there a lone for a while now.

"So, what's up?" Nathan asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, um, I just found something out today that kind of disturbed me…" she said.

"What? What happened Hales? Are you okay?" Nathan asked in rapid succession. He immediately switched into protective husband mode. It was a comfort.

"Oh, no. Nothing bad, well, it's kind of bad, but I'm fine and safe," Haley yammered as she tried to explain herself.

"So what'd you want to tell me?" Nathan asked, quite confused at this point.

"I was in the studio this morning and, through a series of events, came to the conclusion that I might've kissed Chris Keller at the costume party at Tric…"

Nathan's face was stone and un-telling. He sighed ominously causing panic to rise up in Haley's chest. She started to panic, fearing this may have been an awful idea that had only pushed them farther apart.

"I know," Nathan said finally.

Haley released a deep breath of panic that was soon filled with confusion.

"Wait, what?" Haley asked, utterly dumbfounded.

She watched as Nathan's face softened to her for the first time since she'd come back.

"I know. It's a long story why I know, but I know. And I'm not mad. I saw how much it meant to you that you thought it was me. I didn't want to take that away. I wanted to kiss you so much that night, but I wasn't ready. The only thing I could do was play along," he explained.

"Uh, um, I'm not really sure what to think right now…"

"Don't be mad. Please, don't be mad…" Nathan pleaded. It was disheartening to see him on the other side of this debacle they'd been having for the past few weeks.

"I'm not mad, Nathan," Haley whispered as she took his hands in hers.

The contact was electric. They both slowly looked up until their eyes met. Haley was paralyzed with fear as Nathan slowly leaned in and his lips pressed against hers. She was lost for a moment, but she pulled back once she realized the magnitude of the situation.

"Stop," she gasped. She stood up and started pacing around the room thinking about all the pros and cons. Sure, she'd spent all this time trying to win Nathan back, but she hand't considered what would happen once they _did_ get back together.

"Hales, what's wrong? I thought… I thought you wanted this…" Nathan sad quietly.

"I did! I _do_. But what does this mean?" she questioned.

"Haley, I'm all in."

That stopped her dead in her tracks. All in.

"What?" she asked on the verge of tears.

"I'm all in," he repeated, taking her in his arms and lightly kissing her.

"Nathan, don't say it if you don't mean it because I have been waiting a really log time to hear you say that," she warned.

"Haley, when I met you… I fell harder than I ever had before. Harder than a landslide and every night I've ever spent away from you since the day you started tutoring me seemed like weeks instead of hours. I've nothing left to hide from you. You know who I am even, when I don't know who I am. I am so sorry I've been stubborn, but I guess we needed this time to realize how much we needed each other."

Tears were pouring down her cheeks as Haley listened to the soliloquy of love from her husband.

"Even if you still said no, even if you left for tour again, I'm all in. I promise, I'm all in for life," he continued.

"Oh, I'm never leaving you again Nathan," she laughed before leaning to kiss him again. Nathan lead them to the couch and he sat down with her in his lap.

"Good because there's no going back this time. What we have… it's too strong and we've had each other's backs too long. If we do this again, there's no breaking up this time," Nathan warned.

"Nathan, there's no way we're giving up this time."

He kissed her again and between kisses she asked him, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course, Hales…"

"I've spent every night since I left you for the tour staring at the ceiling counting the minutes until I'd see you again. I felt so far away from you and so alone all those nights on the tour bus," she whispered.

"I'm right here Haley, and I'm not losing you this time."

"Aren't you glad I came to my senses?" she joked as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

"Haley, the only other time I've been this happy was when I heard you say 'I do' at our wedding. I mean that. I let go of all my defenses that day. It was the scariest thing I have ever done, but I did it because I loved you and I knew we were meant to be together. I've always known that, even if it didn't seem that way to you."

"Thank you, Nathan. I know I haven't made this easy on you and what I did was selfish… I'm not proud of what I did…" she said quietly.

"What?"

"When I look back on the tour, I'm not proud of myself because I know how much I hurt you…"

Nathan was silent for a second, but then slid her off his lap and made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked nervously.

"Just wait here, Hales."

He left the house. Haley could hear the rain beating down on the pavement. She hopped off the couch and followed him outside. It was a full on hurricane, but Nathan was riffling around the back of his car.

"Nathan! Come inside! You're going to catch a cold!" she called out his name from the porch.

Still, he continued to search his car. After another minute Haley ran out to the car to get him.

"Nathan!" she called again as she grabbed his arm and yanked him around.

She saw him holding a box. The wind ripped the top off and soon they were surrounded by a tornado of pictures and newspaper clippings.

"What is all of this?" she yelled over the wind.

"Everything I found about you and the tour. Every picture, every article… you might not have been proud of yourself Haley, but I was. I still am. I may have been angry, but I never stopped believing in you."

A smile as wide as the ocean broke on her face, the rain and tears mixing together. A laugh escaped her lips. She was shocked.

"I love you!" she yelled before jumping into his arms.

"I told you, Haley! I'm all in!" he yelled back.

"Always…"

"...and forever."


End file.
